Citing growing demand, packaging manufacturer Retal PA LLC plans to double its PET preform production to more than 2 billion annually and boost its staff by 43 percent.
"We are buying new injection molding machines from a leading Canadian brand," Maria Jarrar, senior marketing manager for parent company Retal Industries LLC, told Plastics News in recent emails.
The facility in Donora, Pa., is getting six new 500-ton presses, she said.
"We've chosen these machines [because] they're energy-efficient and will allow us to reduce our energy consumption, as well as allowing us to increase the volume of [recycled] PET in our preforms and increase productivity," Jarrar said.
Retal PA also will hire 30 permanent workers, bringing its staff to 70 people, Jarrar said.
In addition to injection molding preforms, Retal blow molds PET bottles and injection and compression molds recycled and virgin PET and high density polyethylene caps and closures for beverages and other liquids, oils and sauces. It also makes PET and biaxially oriented PET films for packaging in the food, chemical and mechanical engineering industries.
The 143,000-square-foot Donora plant is Limassol, Cyprus-based Retal Industries' first U.S. manufacturing site. Retal operates 19 plants in 10 countries and employs 1,500.
In a Nov. 18 news release, Retal confirmed the "extensive expansion program" but declined to say how much it is investing. The plant will remain the same size, though improvements will be made to accommodate the new machines and improve efficiency.
"It's a true mark of confidence in Retal PA; over half of the investment is a bank loan, which highlights the credibility of our expansion," Darius Janulionis, president and CEO of the U.S. operation, said in the news release.